Goodbye, Our Hero
by sjwong3
Summary: [Spoiler up to Chapter 614] For a world of peace and freedom, his life was compromised. His sacrifice, a noble one, was the trigger to a new beginning.
1. Your Sacrifice

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters._

_Last Revised 1st June 2013._

**Goodbye, Our Hero**

Chapter 1 - Your Sacrifice

It was so close he could smell the stench of its breath. It was not even a hundred feet away, crouching with its fangs bared into a snarl. The beast dug its claws into the soft ground and as it flicked its tails, the trees sank their roots into the earth with all their strength. Its eye, a swirling orb that glinted in the moonlight flickered with cunningly wise malice and trained onto the flash of orange coming towards it. Throwing back its head and letting a vicious roar erupt from its throat and into the night, the beast whipped its tails with a crack.

Naruto panted. His body hummed with energy as chakra rolled off him in waves. Everything seemed to have magnified ten times: his eyes were wide, capturing every detail with ease and no intake of breath nor drip of sweat escaped his ears. It was virtually surreal. It overwhelmed him, almost rendering him crippled of vigilance. His eyes which were flecked with golden darted around the clearing before settling onto the figure atop the razor-edged cliff. With his magenta cloak billowing with the straying winds, the masked man held a long silver staff and exuded a fearless and almighty aura. The air was heavy, laced with multiple intense chakras which caused the ground to shook with fear. Naruto noticed the masked man lifted a gloved hand and point a finger behind him. Digging the soles of his shoes into the solid ground, the jinchuuriki sprung into action. He threw himself forward and made for the raised platform with lightning speed. Vaguely, he heard a distant call of his name and he was abruptly flung forward towards the beast. The monstrous beast gave a feral grin and promptly lashed out its tails towards the boy.

Naruto cursed before he was assaulted by an immense chakra. Rigid, he could do nothing as rope-like shadows were casted straight at him. Putting his arms up over his face, Naruto waited for the attack to hit him and send him crashing into the sapphire oceans. Seconds past and yet he felt nothing. Lowering his scorched sleeves, he froze when he saw the person kneeling in front of him.

...

Hyūga Hiashi watched helplessly as his nephew leapt seconds before the attack connected. His body has motionless and his arms hung limply by his sides, the monstrous trees of the ancient forest enclosing them seemed to bow with the wind. All he saw was red before he lowered his head and trembled, fisting his bandaged hands until his knuckles paled.

_... I'm sorry,_

_Hizashi …_

* * *

Her mind went blank.

She looked on in horror as the branches impaled him and pierced his torso. The beast threw back its head and laughed hysterically. It rang across the fields and froze their hearts. Blood trickled down onto the murky ground with a constant _drip, drip._

_No, _she reasoned, _this … this was not happening! __Her eyes were fooling her, that was the only explanation. He was fine, he would survive. He was fine, he woul-_

Yet as time seemed to drag on into more than a mere second, she felt her heart sink lower and edge towards the labyrinth of dread. Her vision clouded and she shook her head in vain to try to clear it. Tears threatened to escape as she quivered with fear and anger. Fear, because of the shock and terror etched onto the faces around her. Anger, because she was yet again unable to help him. She had always been their shadow. She wasn't blind, she wasn't stupid. She could see that their sensei favoured Lee and Neji more than her. They were prodigies in their own right: Neji, the gentle fist genius of the Hyuuga clan and Lee, the taijutsu master. When she was younger, Tenten hated herself for her weakness. She had nothing but her weapons, yet Temari of the Sand Siblings had managed to decapitate her with merely a flick of her fan. It was humiliating.

So she trained. Day and night, she remained behind and trained. Sometimes, Neji would offer her advice and others, Lee would give her a thumbs-up and his signature pose. Deep inside, she felt her heart swell. She was so relieved, so happy her teammates were there for her. She got stronger, vowing to never let them leave her behind. One day, she managed to grasp the hem of their robes. She had succeeded.

Tenten felt tears streaming down her face but she ignored them. She remembered what they said to her that day, what _he _had promised.

_They were training, the sun glimmering above them. Sweat caked their bodies as the sounds of kunai scraping against rocks and the earth rupturing filled the peaceful sky. Tenten panted and she pressed her palms on her knees in fatigue._ _In front of her, Neji was standing with his head to the side. He had a serene expression as his unbounded long hair which cascaded down his back remained neat and untangled in the wind._

_"You're pushing yourself too hard, Tenten." His voice was soft but she could hear it nevertheless. Tenten blinked in surprise and gave him a questioning look. __He sighed and closed his eyes. Tilting his chin into the air, he said, "you'll will catch up someday, there is no need to rush ... __We won't leave you behind."_

His words flashed across her mind as she saw his face contort with pain and distress. Her heart wavered as she stumbled slightly. '_You said you won't leave me ... what are you doing now, Neiji?!'_

* * *

Pain. That was all that he felt when he collapsed onto Naruto. He closed his eyes momentarily to dispel the pain, but to no avail. He could taste the metallic tinge of blood in his mouth as he desperately sought for the effort to speak. '_Dame da*,' _he thought as he heaved and coughed out blood. The corners of his mouth tilted up faintly, '_at least I made it in time ... I'm glad.' _When he saw the shock on Naruto's face, his body had leapt before his mind willed it. He had made it, he has fulfilled his duties.

"**MEDICAL TEAM!**" Naruto howled in denial, clutching onto him as though he was the one in physical agony.

"No," Neji choked, "I'm already …"

"Nii-san!" Hinata's features were of concerning distress as she ran forward to catch him when Naruto crumbled under Neji's weight. Why? Why would Neji sacrifice his life for him, a jinchuuriki?

Upon Naruto's look of bewilderment, Neji said reassuringly, "Naruto … Hinata-sama is willing to die for you … that's why …" _You freed me from my cursed past, Naruto._

Naruto, unsatisfied and conflicted with his answer questioned, "Why are you willing … to throw away your life for me?!"

His brows were creased with immense refusal and to this, Neji merely smiled. '_Because … you told me that I'm a genius …'  
_

He knew that it was nearly time. His body ached with every breath, it felt like millions of needles pricking his skin at the same time. Neji willed himself to look at his fellow shinobi one more time. His chest clenched tightly with guilt as he recognized the unmistakable dread on several faces. However, on the others, he saw glimpses of unguarded admiration and honor.

His heart swelled with pride when his eyes at last settled onto her. He saw in her warm brown eyes sadness but also hints of resolve. He would miss her and team Guy. '_Tenten. Thank you.'_

He smiled genuinely as he finally succumbed to his injuries. _This choice … this sacrifice … was worth it._

* * *

Dame da*: It's no good

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Review please? :D**


	2. To Start Afresh

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters_

_Last Revised 1st June (so many grammatical mistakes -_- sigh)_

**Goodbye, Our Hero**

Chapter 2 - To Start Afresh

The sun dawned brightly on another morning. The streets of Konoha were already humming with eager merchants hustling skeptical tourists into purchasing goods. Women of all ages flocked together to debate on who will be a better husband: the Copy-Ninja, Hatake Kakashi or Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Might Guy _(possibly coincidental? – __highly unlikely__ …)_

For a certain lazy individual, this weather basically _dictated _the perfect morning to sleep in. Unfortunately, this notion was fated to be thrown out the window when a boisterous wail awoke him from his blissful slumber.

"SHIKAMARU! WAKE UP!"

"What a drag …" Shikamaru muttered before shifting onto his side and covering his ear with a pillow. This almost blocked out all the noise. _Almost._ His defense was effectively nullified when his shield _(his pillow) _was yanked out of his hand. An eye peeked open drearily. He groaned when he realized Ino had mercilessly thrown open the curtains, letting in the sunlight. He was about to pull the covers over his head when his right arm was jerked abruptly to the side. Losing his balance, he fell off the bed and landed in a heap on the icy cold floor.

He groaned again, "Ino …"

He just wanted to sleep in and then shogi all day. Was it too much to ask? Her face, radiating with joy suddenly appeared before him. "It's already 8:30am, isn't it time you reported to the Hokage?~" She sang in high spirits, much to Shikamaru's confusion. He was opening his mouth to remark that today was his day off when he was unceremoniously flung out of the house along with his hitai-ate.

He sighed, exasperated as he reluctantly made his way up to the Hokage tower. _And here I planned to take it easy and watch clouds move all day … how naïve …_

_How troublesome …_

...

Meanwhile, Sakura was on the verge of pulling all of her hair out. She had been looking for her blonde teammate all morning who has been narrowly avoiding her fist. "Naruto, you idiot! Once I get my hands on you, I'll give you a piece of my mind!" Sakura cursed inwardly, _I'll beat you into a bloody pulp so be prep-_

"MOU ICHIDO* DATTEBAYO!"

Sakura stumbled slightly, invisible to the untrained eye. Her fist clenched painfully and her eye twitched dangerously. The people around her glanced at her curiously. _Ano baka!*_

She stomped towards a very familiar ramen stand in frustration. It was there where she found the Rokudaime Hokage slurping down his seventh bowl of ramen in ecstasy. She trembled with anger and made a beeline for Naruto who was relaxing near the corner.

She inhaled, ready to punch the living daylights out of this idiot when a cloud of smoke appeared within her peripheral vision. Unperturbed and already aware of the identity of the third-party, she smirked. Taking a step further, she redirected her fist when she caught a glimpse of orange. _Zan nen na, Kaka-sensei!*_

Kakashi, sensing danger immediately raised his left hand _(his right was holding the latest edition of the Icha Icha series) _to parry the blow. In a matter of milliseconds, a fist connected with his palm. He winced, thanking God that it wasn't chakra enhanced.

"Kaka-sensei …"

He lifted his eye at the tone of her voice … and was met with a punch so excruciating, his eye _(minus the sharingan) _rolled back and he saw stars. He grunted with approval and began massaging, praying he won't get a black eye any time soon.

"-RVERTED BOOK …"

"-EADING IN PUBLIC …"

"-NTAL HEALTH …"

_Oh no … not a concussion! _Kakashi moaned as his head began to spin. _Perceiving three Sakuras was __definitely bad__. _He silently cussed the previous Hokage for taking Sakura under her wing. '_This is really bad,' _he thought as an image of the sweet twelve year old Sakura with an innocent smile on her face flashed across his mind. Kakashi mentally berated himself, _why did he have to appear right at this moment? _He shook his head in vain and quickly made the necessary seals to teleport himself to the hospital before he was subjected to another unreasonable, _or so he thought_ beating.

...

"YOU _–THWACK- _BAKA _–PANG- _I CANNOT BELIEVE TSUANDE SISHOU RETIRED _–BANG- _SO EARLY!"

"Ah … Sakura-chan, how did you find me?" Naruto gulped, terrified. The goofy grin plastered onto his face was immediately wiped off as another wave of pots and pans were thrown precariously at him.

Sakura was fuming. After returning tired and bruised from her solo mission, she had arrived at the Hokage Tower, ready to give her mission report when Hinata, Naruto's fiancé and assistant politely relayed to her that he wasn't in. Furthermore, upon learning that a week's worth of paperwork was yet to be completed, she was _very _agreeable to the idea of asphyxiating someone to death. When she finally tracked down the idiot after running around the village like a crazy mother hen and only to find that he was at Ichiraku's stuffing his face, she was absolutely inclined to wring his neck. But of course, murdering the Hokage was a severe crime, an idea so absurd that she will be out of her mind just thinking about it. That's how Sakura ended up here, throwing tables and chairs like they're nothing but a few measly shurikens.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I RECOMMENDED YOU AS HOKAGE TO SHISHOU. YOU'RE SITTING HERE EATING WHEN ALL OF US ARE OUT THERE RISKING OUR LIVES FOR THIS VILLAGE." She shrieked, her high pitched bellow warding off everyone within 5m radius (with the exception of Naruto) as she continued to hurl anything within reach at him.

Naruto, busy dodging the knives and forks aimed for his head, failed to notice the stool that came at him with inhumane speed and was therefore knocked out cold. She chuckled victoriously, her chest heaved with effort. Sakura sauntered over towards Naruto who lay motionless on the ground. Fatigue washed over her as she picked up her load and slowly made her way out onto the street heading to the Hokage tower.

* * *

Tenten blanched when she heard a distant howl of pain that distinctly belonged to their Hokage. _Looks like Sakura finally found you Naruto, _she giggled as she closed the door to Lee's apartment. She had been on her way towards her favourite tempura restaurant for breakfast when she came across her half dead teammate. She immediately deduced, based on the bags under his droopy eyes which had a faint glaze to it and the stubborn edge to his posture that he had been up all night training. Tenten had quickly rushed him to his apartment, surprised at the lack of protest. Tucking him into bed, she smiled when she heard Lee began snoring lightly the moment his head hit the pillow.

Lee's late night training regimes were a common occurrence ever since that day, but never to this extent. In truth, Tenten was a bit worried. It hzx been a year since the Fourth Shinobi World War, when all hell broke loose. While many still argued that a war was unnecessary, Tenten on the contrary felt differently. If it wasn't for the war, the five great shinobi villages would still be at each other's necks and the rest of world would still be ignorant towards the suffering of both jinchuriki and biju alike. It was fun how things work out. It was almost as if everything came at a price, _at a sacrifice._

War brought pain. Tenten understood that the world was unjust and unfair at the very least. Therefore, conflict was inevitable and so was suffering.

_Why is everything so complicated! For once, I agree with Naruto … why can't everyone just shake hands and become friends? _Of course Tenten knew that this whole idea is just plain impossible. Nevertheless, she just can't help but entertain this foolish yet wishful thinking.

If Neji was here, he would criticize her for this simplistic comment, but not unkindly though. The corners of her mouth lifted and she looked up towards the sky, an endless splatter of blue. Neji's sacrifice punched a hole into her heart. His death made her realize how hard it was for Naruto and Sakura to stand up again after Sasuke's betrayal. _For the first time_, she finally understood the agony of the ordeal. _For the first time_, she was able to truly sympathize. _For the first time_, her eyes were open to reality.

She blinked, astonished as to where her feet had unconsciously taken her. Looking around, Tenten marveled at the trees with leaves of a lustrous green that formed a U shape, enclosing a slab of stone that sat alone in the centre of the courtyard. The Memorial Stone was engraved with the names of all the Konoha ninja who were KIA. Drawing closer, Tenten looked on at the spectrum of colours created by the reflecting of the sun's rays. _So beautiful … such a mesmerizing and enchanting sanctuary._

Neji was the one who helped her grasp what it meant for a shinobi to be dedicated to their village. The war made her appreciate how delicate a human life really was. It made her recognize how important every life was, no matter whom that life belonged to. Kneeling, she searched for the name she knew was engraved onto the stone. Lifting her finger, she caressed where the name, 'Hyūga Neji' was imprinted.

He had smiled despite being on death's doorstep. Tenten saw it, the barely visible feat, so fleeting she thought she had imagined it. He did not regret his actions, he was glad he was able to intercept the attack in time. For that, Tenten was happy for him, even though his life was the price. His sacrifice helped bring the war to an end. For **peace and freedom**, the two things he cherished ever since birth … they are now within reach, _tangible values_ of this new era, this new chapter in history.

Tenten stood up and smiled. She would support him, no matter what he believed in. _Thank you, Neji._

**END**

* * *

Mou Ichido: One more time

Ano Baka: That Idiot

Zan nen na: That's too bad

**A/N: Quite a long chapter, at least to my standards! Writing from Shikamaru's POV was definitely a very enjoyable experience. Everything went downhill once I started to talk about the war … too sophisticated for my own good (by the way, I did take liberty with the facts about the war since I needed to make it focus on Neji so it fits with my story. Therefore if you are in any way confused, I sincerely apologise.)**

**As always, thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed :)**


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